CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
Background of the Study
Technical Vocational Education is an aspect of education that exposes the learner to the acquisition of demonstrable skills that could be transformed into economic benefits and sustainable livelihood. The Federal Republic of Nigeria (FRN) in the National Policy on Education has placed a premium on Building construction in view of its important role in technological and industrial development of Nigeria. It is recognized as that aspect of education which leads to the acquisition of practical and applied skills as well as basic scientific knowledge (FRN, 2004). Oni (2013) described building construction as that type of education which fits the individual for gainful employment in recognized career as semi-skilled workers or technicians or sub-professionals. According to Audu, (2013) any form of education that is geared towards teaching technical skills and attitudes suitable to such skills can be regarded as building construction.
Tilak (2012) emphasized that quality technical education if well planned and coordinated will guarantee; graduates with varied skills, because of changes in production processes resulting from technological advances, the nature of the demand for skills, both in terms of quantity and quality changes. Modern technology requires fewer highly qualified middle and lower level skilled manpower. Technical education can produce exactly this kind of skilled personnel. Technical vocational education in Nigeria is designed to train individuals to become craftsmen, technicians and technologist in different occupational areas.
The training qualifies them for jobs in both public and private sectors of the economy. Both sectors, according to Ndomi (2015), require the services of well-trained and competent personnel who can operate and maintain the available technical equipment and machines. Therefore, there is a need for qualitative building construction and training in order to produce graduates that can perform competently in their chosen vocation without a need for pre-employment training. The major goal of technical education is to prepare students for successful employment in the labor market (Finch & Crunkilton, 2011). This condition can be met through a curriculum that is relevant and comprehensive and a well-equipped workshop with relevant training facilities.
Workshop is a place designed for specific performance of work skills and equipped with relevant equipment, tools or gadgets. It is usually managed by competent technicians, technologists or teachers in a specific occupational area such as woodwork, metal, blocklaying and concreting, electrical/electronics, home economics and so on. The workshop provides a unique learning environment where learners may test, construct, disassemble, repair, create, imagine, design experiment and study, (Ezeji, 2012). It is therefore indispensable in the acquisition of skills.
However, school workshops offer opportunities for practical training of students in skill acquisition in their technical trade areas for future development of the key sectors of the economy in order to meet the basic needs of electricity, roads and machinery, among others. Student’s practical project is an important aspect of the curriculum in technical education, but a supportive school environment is a fundamental requirement for the successful implementation of curriculum (Bybee & Loucks-Horsely, 2010; Penney & Fox, 2013). This aspect of the curriculum can only be implemented where workshop facilities, tools, equipment and machines are adequate and relevant. Availability of appropriate workshop facilities enhances student learning by allowing them to be involved in demonstrations, and practice which will help them to continue to build their skills. However, one of the issues of great controversy among building construction educators today is the issue of poor state of workshop tools and equipment in technical education institutions in Nigeria (Umunadi, 2011).
Umar and Ma’aji, (2010) stated that most of the TVE institutions in Nigeria have been forced to perform below standard due to claimed non -availability, poor management or utter neglect of the required facilities in the workshops for effective skills acquisition. Therefore, there is the need to provide adequate workshop tools, equipment and machines for effective implementation of technical education programs in Nigeria
The school workshops offer chances for practical training of students in the acquisition of skills in different trade areas. According to Puyate (Umar and Ma'aji, 2010) the present state of facilities in technical education institutions is very poor, there is no planned measures of maintenance of the already broken down equipment or means of acquiring new ones, there is hardly or no concern on the part of government, teachers and students for the development of the present state of the facilities. This pathetic condition needs to be reverted in order to meet the goals of building construction as a course as stipulated by the Federal republic of Nigeria (FRN) in the National Policy on Education of Nigeria (FRN, 2004). According to the policy, the goals of TVE; shall be to provide trained manpower in the applied sciences, technology and business particularly at the craft (equivalent of high schools), advanced craft and technical levels; provide the technical knowledge and vocational skills necessary for agricultural, commercial and economic development; to give training and impart the necessary skills to individuals who shall be self-reliant economically. This laudable objective can only be achieved through a curriculum that is relevant and comprehensive and a well–equipped workshop with relevant tools, equipment and other training facilities.
Afeti (2010) stated that, the quality of training in technical institutions in Nigeria is low with undue emphasis on theory and certification rather than on skills acquisition and proficiency testing. Inadequate instructor training, obsolete training equipment and lack of instructional materials are some of the factors that combine to reduce the effectiveness of training in meeting the required knowledge and skill objectives. High quality skills training requires qualified instructors, appropriate workshop equipment, adequate supply of training materials and practice by the learners. In a study conducted by Onyene, (2012) on the production of skill-oriented graduates for the labor market the study revealed that the available physical and material resources used in teaching building construction is grossly inadequate.
In the same vein Ayua (2016) in a study on consolidating and sustaining industrial performance of school product in building construction for national development revealed some findings on the availability of teaching equipment and material resources thus; there were no standard workshops with adequate facilities for carpentry and joinery in four out of five technical colleges under the study. Many workshop tools like plough planes, rebate planes, compass planes , tenon saw s, bench vices etc that are pre-requisite for use in National Business and Technical Examination Board (NABTEB) practical examination (Ayua, 2016) Regular supply of electricity is one other major resource input that is essential in all facets of the economy to boost the much required technological advancement of the nation. Adebesin (2014) remarked on the importance of power supply in technological development when he stated that there is no technological and vocational subject that can be offered at any level without regular electricity supply. These unpleasant conditions are usually blamed on lack of adequate funding.
Adebesin opined that government pronouncement of free tuition at all levels of public education has affected all other main sources of revenue for the institutions. He observed that government is yet to provide adequate funds from its annual budgetary allocation for capital and recurrent appropriations to institutions to run effectively
This can take place in no other place than in the effectively managed and organised workshops. There is no human endeavour that does not require proper management for its better functioning. Management is one of the most important activities that permeate all organizations. All types of organisations whether profit or non- profit making require good management to function effectively. With better management technique, Building Construction teachers will utilize workshop facilities in more beneficial ways.
In the same vein Dasmani, (2012) carried out a study on the challenges facing technical institute graduates in practical skills acquisition the study revealed that inadequate instructional materials, large number of students in the class, insufficient training facilities, lack of collaboration with the local industries for hands-on-experience for both trainers and trainees lead to ineffective and inefficient training of students while undue emphasis is placed on passing examination. This inadequacy in preparation for the labor market brought workplace challenges to the graduates. The institutions thereby acquire a bad image, and produce graduates with lower employability. Teaching cannot be complete unless learning has taken place as a result of someone’s effort (Teacher). According to Lin (2011), learning is the acquisition of cognitive process of acquiring skills, values, understanding and preference or knowledge. It leads to the development of new capabilities, understanding and preference. According to Nwani (2015), the learner is the central focus of the entire educational efforts because, learner is the person that is been taught. Hence, this study intends to examine the impact of Building construction workshop on effective teaching and learning of Building construction in technical colleges in Lagos state.
Statement of the problem
The major aim of technical education in Nigeria is to explore the fundamentals and develop vocational competencies among youths so that they can appreciate the technological world and contribute maximally to the nation’s economic growth. The building construction curriculum provides that the teaching and learning of the building concept should be both theoretical and practical in nature (NPE, 2004). As a skill oriented course, whose major aim is to expose the learners to the rudiments of technology, it is very necessary that it should be taught with equipment. This will enable the recipients to gain awareness, appreciation and orientation into technology that will enable them develop further or choose a trade.
The teaching of Building construction has been faced with numerous problems that can impede the realization of the objectives. One of such problems is the Building construction workshop on. In fact, how to achieve the objectives of Building construction has been a major concern to educators. Some researchers have tried to identify some of the problems affecting the teaching and learning of the Building construction but it seems the problem of low academic achievement is a persistent one and has reached a level that should worry everyone concerned with the technological development of the nation. It is, therefore, imperative that the state of the Building construction workshop should be re-appraised so that possible solutions could be adduced to remedy the present situation in the teaching and learning of Building construction.
Based on this however, there is a glaring need to evaluate the strategies used in the workshop management to see where the fault lies and address these problems in the programme. Hence, the researcher intends to examine impact of Building construction workshop on effective teaching and learning of Building construction in technical colleges in Lagos state.
Purpose of Study
The purpose of this study is to investigate the impact of Building construction workshop on effective teaching and learning of Building construction in technical colleges in Lagos state. It intends to specifically;
1. determine the relevance of workshop to effective teaching and learning of Building construction in technical colleges in Lagos state.
2. ascertain whether there are adequate instructional materials for effective teaching and learning of Building construction in technical colleges in Lagos state.
3. find out the state of workshop tools and equipment for effective teaching and learning of Building construction in technical colleges in Lagos state.
4. examine the extent of funding the effective teaching and learning of Building construction in technical colleges in Lagos state.
Significance of the Study
The result of this study would help the students, lecturers, parents and government to appreciate fully the importance of workshop to effective teaching and learning of Building construction. Apart from this, the result of this study would arouse students’ interest in the use of workshop for learning.
It will assist the curriculum planners by using the findings during innovations; it’ll assist them to ascertain how the set goals and objectives of the Building Construction have been achieved and as well seek for improvements where necessary. The findings will assist Building Construction teachers and school administrators to access their areas of weakness and work hard for improvement of their competencies. The study will also sensitize the government and other educational agencies especially the technical colleges boards on the need to build adequate workshops and equip them in public technical colleges.
This study will be of benefits to government to identify inadequate learning resources in workshop, how it affects effective teaching and learning of Building construction in tertiary institutions. It is expected that this study will prompt government to provide enough learning resources in workshop for effective teaching and learning of building construction, as this will further improve teaching and learning of Building construction in tertiary institutions.
More importantly, it will be an eye-opener to school administrators the need for availability of learning resources in workshop for teaching and learning of Building construction practical. It will assist stakeholders in education to know that there should be a reasonable match between students’ population and the available resources in the admission process and there is need to make the number of students to be taught in the classes to be moderate. This will help the lecturers to manage effectively the little available learning resources for teaching of Building construction practical
It will also assist policy makers on education to formulate policies that will ensure enough provision in workshop for teaching and learning of Building construction practical. It will provide comprehensive information for educational planners, educators, and parents on how they can assist students to cope in learning of Building construction with little available learning resources in basic workshop. It is also hoped that the study will consequently increase literature on availability of Teaching and Learning Resources to assist education evaluators establish education quality monitoring networks and improvement processes, to guide teachers to improve use of Teaching and Learning Materials by using instructional strategies for appropriate delivery of curriculum; hence inform policies in teacher education.
Lastly, it will serve as a contribution to knowledge in the subject area. In this regard, it will be useful for other researchers who might want to carry out research in related areas.
Scope of Study
This study is limited to technical colleges in Lagos state. The study will be restricted to the impact of Building workshop on effective teaching and learning of Building construction in technical colleges in Lagos state. The respondents for the study are restricted to technical students in technical colleges in Lagos state.
Research Questions
This research question will guide the study;
1. What is the relevance of workshop to effective teaching and learning of Building construction in technical colleges in Lagos state?
2. What are adequacy of instructional materials for effective teaching and learning of Building construction in technical colleges in Lagos state?
3. What is state of workshop tools and equipment for effective teaching and learning of Building construction in technical colleges in Lagos state?
4. What is the extent of funding the effective teaching and learning of Building construction in technical colleges in Lagos state?
Research Hypotheses
The following null hypotheses were formulated from the research questions:
1. There is no significant relevance of workshop to the teaching and learning of Building construction in technical colleges in Lagos state.
2. There is no significant adequate instructional material for teaching and learning of Building construction in technical colleges in Lagos state.
3. There is no significant difference in the state of workshop tools and equipment for teaching and learning of Building construction in technical colleges in Lagos state.
4. There is no significant difference in the extent of funding the teaching and learning of Building construction in technical colleges in Lagos state.
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